Wo
Wo is located due west of Ostentia across the sea. It has two parallel systems of government. Geography The main island, known as Woland, has a similar climate to Ostentia, being mostly mild. The centre of the island is mountainous and heavily forested, but much of the rest of the island is grassland. The continental territories of Wo is almost the opposite: much of the land is consumed by desert, and the major settlements, such as the Wo capital and holy city of Wollantine, are located along the banks of rivers. Economy In most respects, the economy of Wo is well developed, with strong primary, secondary and tertiary industries. Many of these are owned by the Church, although the majority of them are privately owned. There is, however, something of a xenophobic element to the Wolish economy: both state and church law prevent key industries from being owned by foreign nationals. Politics Executive branch *Religious - The Patriarch is the leader of the Church of Wo, and the spiritual leader of the country. In many places the Church effectively takes on the roles of local government, making it a powerful institution. The Patriarch can veto any proposals made by the High Church Council, and can remain in office for life, although many choose to retire. When the post of Patriarch becomes vacant, the High Church Council elects one of the Archbishops to the position. *Secular - The government is headed by the Prime Minister. The majority of all government decisions and all legislation must be passed by the democratially elected People's Assembly. There are no direct elections for the post of Prime Minister. Instead, the leader of the largest party in the assembly is normally appointed as Prime Minister. Legislative branch *Religious - All Bishops and Archbishops have a seat in the High Church Council, although many are often represented by deputies. In addition to debating theoligical issues, the council legislates on church law, which runs parallel to the secular legal system. *Secular - The People's Assembly is a democratic chamber elected by proportional representation. It debates and passes civil law legislation, which has precedence over Church Law. Diplomacy Relations with Ostentia *Ambassador to Ostentia: Ali Tonshend *Ostentian Ambassador: Joan Jones *Formal Relations: Yes. At the time Wo was discovered, Ostentia had not started relations with Nellapaland as part of an arrangement for Aspar's assistance in the release of some Ostentian Explorers being held by Eronam. Wo, however, brought ambassadors from Nellapaland with them and, as a result, Aspar was questioned about whether relations could be pursued. The Ambassador for Aspar was able to persuade the Boo Party to not pursue relations with both Wo and Nellapaland, which soured relations. The Prime Minister of the time, Inevitable claimed the reasons for this was because "at this stage, we do not want to pursue relations with a country so deeply involved in the Nellapalese international crisis due to the risk it represents to existing relations with other countries". Wo's Head of State, Patriarch Diligence XXIII responded by calling the Ostentian government an "Agent of Evil". When The Fruit & Veg = Perfection Party replaced the Boo Party as government, they chose to try and re-establish relations. They succeeded and relations between Ostentia and Wo have been good since. International relations *Eronam: Formal relations do exist, but there is little interaction between the two countries. *Empthrinia: Friendly relations, although the Patriarch of Wo and the Sultan often finds themselves disagreeing on policies in Empthrinia. *Nellapaland: Strong allies, Wo is a major investor in Nellapaland's economy and often assists the Nellapalese security forces. *Aspar: Diplomatic relations broke down some time ago following Aspar's decision to outlaw organised religion. *Exilia: Strong allies, the Wolish government believes that it is important to support the Exilia in the interest of national security. *Autocratia: Wo refuses to recognise the government of Autocratia, accepting Democratia's claim over Autocratian territory. *Democratia: Wo is a strong supporter of Democratia, supplying the country with the resources and equipment it needs to fight the war with Autocratia. *Gelland: No contact between the two countries. *Christophia: Formal relations are in place but Wo is sometimes suspicious of Christophian motives. *Topanto: Following the banning of the Church of Wo in Topanto, Wo withdrew all aid from the country. *The U.C.C.R: Prior to unification, Wo once had a major influence in area.